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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · race · lie · bay · object · branch · rule · pit

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — government
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. object — to protest
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. object — a thing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pit — in a race
  15. press — to push
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rule — a law
  20. pit — a hole
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com